Prosecutors Accept Manslaughter Plea From Muslim Who Killed US Tourist, Stabbed Five Others in Knife Jihad

Bulhan stabbed an American tourist to death and injured five others in a knife rampage in London’s Russell Square.

Today, Zakaria Bulhan, 19, denied the attempted murders of Mr Hoenisch, Ms Selletin, Mr Imber, Mr Hepplewhite and Ms Lewkowski.

But he pleaded guilty to alternative charges of wounding with intent after injuring them in the same attack.

Bulhan, a Norwegian national of Somali origin who was living in south-west London, denied murdering the retired teacher Darlene Horton, 64, a mother-of-two, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility today. She was only a few hours away from her flight home to Tallahassee, Florida, after a visit in the UK with her university professor husband Richard Wagner.

Bulhan was carrying a copy of a book called the Fortress of the Muslims – a daily book of Islamic prayers – and was heard muttering ‘Allah, Allah,’ but a terrorist motive has been ruled out.

It is noteworthy that Bulhan’s father took him to the Mosque in Whitechapel on the day of the attack because he was ill – wouldn’t a trip to the doctor have been more appropriate?

Russell Square killer allowed into UK by European freedom of movement rules stabbed US tourist to death and wounded five others

• Zakaria Bulhan, who had moved to London from Norway with his Somali mother, killed an American tourist
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• Prosecutors accept pleas to lesser charges and court hears he was suffering from a ‘psychotic episode’
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• Police ruled out fears the attack was terror-inspired after his history of mental health issues was examined
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• Prosecutor says lack of mental health treatment after assessment in London was ‘partly behind’ attack
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• Husband of woman killed says if schizophrenic is released to kill again ‘the blood will be on our hands’

By Richard Spillett and Rory Tingle For Mailonline,  6 February 2017:

A mentally-ill teenager who stabbed an American tourist to death and injured five others in a knife rampage in London‘s Russell Square was allowed into the UK by European freedom of movement rules, a court heard.

Norwegian national Zakaria Bulhan, 19, killed retired teacher Darlene Horton, 64, just hours before she was due to fly home to Tallahassee, Florida, after visiting the UK with her university professor husband Richard Wagner.

Bulhan’s parents emigrated from Somalia to Norway in 1994 and he was born in the Scandinavian country three years later.

The second of three children, he moved to the UK with his mother in 2003 under free movement rules after being granted asylum in Norway.

Norway is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), whose members share freedom of movement with the 28 countries of the EU.

Bulhan, who was living in south-west London at the time of the attack, denied murdering the mother-of-two, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility today.

Prosecutors have accepted that schizophrenic Bulhan was in the midst of a psychotic episode at the time after police ruled out a terrorist motive to the attack.

The court heard he was assessed by his local mental health trust on 20 April, but received no further treatment despite acting increasingly ‘oddly’ before the attack.

Bulhan struck just after 10.30pm on Wednesday 3 August in Russell Square, an area popular with tourists, after visiting the East London Mosque in Whitechapel.

Bulhan (left, as a boy and, right, in a court sketch today) had been brought to Britain from Norway by his Somali mother. He had been assessed by mental health services in London but received no treatment before he carried out the attack

Darlene Horton, from Florida, was in the UK with her husband, Richard Wagner, a visiting university professor, at the time

The knife rampage through the busy London square caused widespread shock in August with victims from around the world

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The court heard he ran from the Mosque and was later seen moving erratically along the pavement at Russell Square, walking alongside the park railings and holding a large kitchen knife.

He ‘smiled and skipped’ towards his first victim before continuing the rampage with a ‘crazed smile’, the court heard.

Londoner Bernard Hepplewhite, 65, shouted in pain as he was stabbed in the abdomen, having travelled to the West End with a friend to see ‘Showboat’ on Drury Lane with a friend.

He said his attacker showed no signs of anger and simply skipped straight on towards Australian Lillie Sellentin, 23, who had been to see ‘Aladdin’ at the Prince Edward theatre and was making her way back to her hotel.

She thought she had been punched when she was struck to the right of her ribcage.

‘He showed no emotion as he did so, but carried on moving in the same fashion,’ said the prosecutor.

It was only when someone shouted ‘he’s got a knife’ that they realised they had been stabbed before Mr Hepplewhite hailed a passing cab to take them to hospital.

Darlene Horton, 64, had eaten dinner with her husband, Richard Wagner, at a restaurant in Bloomsbury before the pair made their way back to where they were staying through Russell Square.

Mr Wagner said a black male rushed past them and as he did so his wife simply said: ‘ouch.’

Israeli Yovel Lewkowski, 18, was in London on a four-day holiday with her family and had spent the evening in the West End before she was knifed in the arm.

‘She became considerably distressed, feeling overwhelmed and in a state of shock,’ said Mr Heywood.

In an emotional Facebook post after the attack, Yovel pleaded with her friends to make the most of life, adding: ‘The last few hours have taught me to appreciate every second’

Mr Wagner described how Bulhan ran past them in a ‘haphazard manner, swerving and loping towards members of the public’.

It was only then he saw the knife and warned others: ‘This guy is trying to stab people.’

American Martin Hoenisch, 59, was the next to be targeted as Bulhan zig-zagged towards him and stabbed him in the chest.

He was on holiday with his wife and the pair had spent their first evening in London at a restaurant in Covent Garden.

David Imber, 40, who is Australian, had arrived in the UK for a holiday on 1 August and had been to see ‘Kinky Boots’ at the Adelphi Theatre.

He was also struck to the chest after Bulhan came straight towards him.

The prosecutor said: ‘Mr Imber made brief eye contact and describes the male having a ‘crazed smile’ on his face as if he was enjoying it or that he was under the influence of drugs.’

Killer did not get treatment for mental health problems

The Russell Square killer did not receive the treatment he needed in the run up to his knife rampage, the court heard.

He was referred to his local mental health trust in March 2016 and assessed on 20 April, but received no further treatment despite acting increasingly ‘oddly’ in the period leading up to the attack.

The prosecutor said: ‘That is no doubt partly behind what follows.

‘He was not then receiving the treatment for his condition to the extent that, as it now appears, was necessary, although not apparent at the time.’